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Seaside Park posts 2026 budget online; resident warns tax rate could rise 3.65%
Summary
Seaside Park posted its 2026 budget presentation on YouTube and opened a public-comment period; resident Shirley Kessel told the council the presentation shows a possible 3.65% tax increase and urged further review, citing lost commercial and court-related revenues.
Seaside Park Borough Council posted its 2026 budget presentation to the borough YouTube channel and invited public comment, and a local resident said the materials indicate the borough’s tax rate could rise "possibly 3.65%." Chair of the meeting announced the online posting at a March 30 work session and said the full budget will be introduced at the council’s regular meeting before a planned adoption in May.
Resident Shirley Kessel, of 700 North Bayview Avenue, told the council the presentation indicates the tax rate could increase and asked the council to reexamine the draft to find further reductions. "It shows our tax rate of going up possibly 3.65%," Kessel said, adding that the borough has already seen revenue declines from lost commercial activity.
Kessel described lost commercial tax revenue tied to a local commercial area she referred to as "Funtown" and said reductions in court-related receipts have also affected the budget. She cited, as ballpark figures, prior commercial-related revenues she recalled at around $1,000,000 and a recent year court revenue figure she gave in the range of $143,000.
A borough staff member said the town posted the presentation online to make it accessible and encouraged residents to send questions to a dedicated email; an FAQ will be posted as staff receives inquiries. "This year, we wanted to put that on our YouTube channel so it's accessible to more people," the staff member said. The staff member also said the presentation would remain available until the council considers budget adoption in May.
Council and staff responded to Kessel’s concerns by noting several drivers of higher costs, including contract obligations, cost-of-living adjustments and health insurance expenses. A staff speaker estimated health insurance costs are "somewhere around 20%" higher and said a shift in parking and enforcement systems (kiosks replacing older meters) has reduced ticket revenue that previously contributed to the general fund.
The Chair closed the public-comment portion of the work session and the council then approved a motion to adjourn the work session and begin the regular meeting; the adjournment motion passed on a roll-call vote with six yeses. The council will consider introduction of the 2026 budget at its next regular meeting and expects to schedule a formal vote on adoption in May.
